While Qualcomm’s incremental upgrade to the Snapdragon 820, the 821, isn’t a secret, there’s little information about the new processor aside from its increased clockspeed. Now the company is ready to talk about the differences of the new processor compared to Snapdragon 820, and the upgrades are pretty minimal.
Let’s start with the basics. The Snapdragon 821’s performance cores has an overall higher clockspeed at 2.4GHz compared to the Snapdragon 820’s 2.2GHz, while the lower-power cores top out at 2GHz compared to the 1.6GHz in the 820. That’s a 10 percent speed increase, though that faster clock doesn’t come with higher power consumption – the 821 processor is actually slightly more power-efficient, and your battery should last around 5 percent longer compared to the 820.
Moving on, the new processor should also open apps quicker, since it gets a ten percent speed bump at opening apps. The already amazing Adreno graphics also get a slight performance increase of 5 percent, and like the 820, phones that use the Snapdragon 821 will be compatible with Google’s Daydream Virtual Reality system.
On the camera front, the 821 now supports dual phase detection AF, which should make focusing easier in challenging conditions, and phones outfitted with laser AF systems will enjoy the extended ranging support that the processor brings to the table.
As far as where to find the new processor, well you’ll have to settle for the top-tier ASUS Zenfone 3 Deluxe for now, though we have a feeling that there will be a couple of new phones announced at IFA that will carry the new chipset.
